More than¬†200 students, parents, teachers, and school choice advocates celebrated National School Choice Week at the nation‚??s capitol yesterday¬†morning.

House Majority Leader¬†John Boehner (R-Ohio) praised the value of education in his own life, noting that ‚??education is the great equalizer of America.‚?Ě

Rep.¬†Luke Messer (R-Indiana) hosted the event and is a strong supporter of school choice. He introduced a bill last week, Enhancing Educational Opportunities for all Students Act, which would allow states to convert $14.5 billion in education funds to scholarships for students to use to attend a public or private school of their choice. It would also provide parents with more flexibility in education savings accounts.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said that access to education is the civil rights issue of the 21st century and that a¬†student‚??s race and zipcode shouldn‚??t determine their access to education.

He noted that over one million students are on charter school wait lists and that¬†‚??we shouldn‚??t put our future on a waiting list.‚?Ě

Other speakers included Reps. Steve Scalise, John Kline, Todd Rokita and Virginia Foxx as well as Sen. Tim Scott. Gary Jones, a parent of an Opportunity Scholarship Program student, and Isaiah Smith, a student at Washington Latin public charter school, also spoke. The event concluded with a performance from the St. Francis student choir.